Piper PA-32-300 accident near Steamboat Spgs, CO
On December 29, 2002, a Piper PA-32-300 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Steamboat Spgs, CO. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 29, 2002
- Place
- Steamboat Spgs, CO
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 3 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.335°N, 106.689°W
- NTSB ID
- 20030107X00026
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On December 29, 2002, at approximately 1300 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N7989C, was destroyed when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The commercial pilot and one passenger were seriously injured, another passenger received minor injuries; however, one passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was being operated under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal, cross-country flight that originated from Bob Adams Field (SBS) Steamboat Springs, Colorado, approximately 20 minutes before the accident. No flight plan had been filed, but the pilot said he was en route to Canon City, Colorado. The pilot said he had flown his three passengers and three dogs from Canon City, to Steamboat Springs, for Christmas celebrations. He said that on Thursday, December 26, he departed Steamboat Springs, on a solo flight back to Canon City, to fly parachutists up for jumps. He said that he flew the same departure path up Harrison Creek to cross Rabbit Ears Pass (elevation 10,007 feet). This flight was uneventful. On Saturday, he returned to Steamboat Springs to fly his passengers and dogs back to Canon City on the following day. The pilot said he departed Steamboat Springs, at approximately 1230, on runway 32. He said that he headed south towards Rabbit Ears Pass, and was climbing to approximately 10,700 feet. He said that while flying up Harrison Creek, he encountered a "wind sheer or downdrafts," and the airplane would not clear the mountainous terrain. The pilot said he "decided to
Probable cause
the pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision making resulting in insufficient altitude to fly over the mountain, and the subsequent inadvertent stall/mush into tree covered mountainous terrain. Contributing factors were the tail wind and high density altitude weather conditions, the airplane's aft center of gravity condition exceeding limitations, and the improper use of the airplane by the
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
